Why is the village of Ocheretino important for the course of the war in Ukraine?

The BBC’s Russia service analyzes why the village of Ocheretino is of strategic importance to the military operations in the Donetsk region.

While the Ukrainian media and social networks are trying to find out who allowed the unhindered breakthrough of the Russian units in the village of Ocheretino northwest of Avdeyevka, the situation on this part of the front continues to get complicated. As Nazar Voloshin, a representative of the “Khortitsa” troop group, said, on April 24, the Russian command brought the reserve 55th motorized brigade into the battle on the Novobakhmutovka-Ocheretino line.

The Ukrainian side is also withdrawing reserves – the units of the 47th mechanized brigade, which previously held the defense at Ocheretino, returned to their positions, and the 100th mechanized brigade was ordered to counterattack.

The problem with the loss of Ocheretino for the Ukrainian armed forces is primarily related to the threat of the collapse of the entire defensive line in the Pokrovsk directionthe creation of which the Ukrainian command was forced to start after the departure of Avdeevka.

It was assumed that in case of a further advance of the Russian troops in the western direction, they would encounter new defensive lines in the area of ​​the Karlovsky Reservoir and the Volcha River, which would be difficult to force.

However, there are no water obstacles in the Ocheretino area, and the T0511 road passes through the village, which leads directly to Pokrovsk.

It was this city that the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence, Kiril Budanov, identified as the direction of the main attack of the Russian troops in the spring and summer of this year. A possible breakthrough of the Russian troops near Ocheretino threatens the cover of the units of the Ukrainian armed forces defending in the south, near the village of Berdichi.

In addition, from Ocheretino it is less than 15 km to the main road connecting Bolshaya Novoselka and Konstantinovka via Pokrovsk. So far, the main problem of the Russian command is that it has not been able to expand the area of ​​the breach at Ocheretino, the narrow corridor along the railway line has been shelled quite a lot, notes the Ukrainian military observer Konstantin Mashovets.

“Delivering any means of logistical support to the forward units of the enemy’s 30th Motorized Rifle Brigade, now operating in the Ocheretino area (and this is vital for them), becomes a deadly task for the enemy… Especially for those who deal with it,” he wrote.

However, Russian Army Group Center still has large reserves, including tanks, and will certainly look to build on its unexpected success at Ocheretino. In addition, in other directions near Avdeevka, she currently does not have such tangible successes.